Weekly news - 12th June 2009 |
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Cocaine trade and use in the UK
First oral evidence session (9th June): Professor John Strang (Director, National Addiction Centre) and DrugScope (Martin Barnes, Chief Executive and Harry Shapiro, Director of Information and Communications). DrugScope session starts at 31.50 [UK Parliament]
Recovery and the UK Drug Treatment System: key dimensions of change
This discussion aims to develop the ongoing debate about the future
of the Drug
Treatment field in the United Kingdom. It takes up certain themes from the
current debates and discussions about the Recovery Orientation in drug
treatment and seeks to locate these discussions historically in terms of a
paradigm analysis, but also contemporaneously in terms of other key dimensions
of current change. 60 Pge PDF with References [Ian Wardle, Lifeline, UK]
Measuring the harm from illegal drugs
A summary of the Drug Harm Index 2006 [Home Office, UK]
Residential drug treatment services: good practice from the field
This report is based on interviews with the local drug partnerships and services that scored highly in the Tier 4 commissioning and provision theme of the 2007-08 Healthcare Commission and NTA service review. 49-page PDF [NTA, UK]
Indications of Public Health in the English Regions 10: Drug Use
A new report for the Chief Medical Officer released today by the (National) Association of Public Health Observatories reveals the full extent of illicit drug use in England. 204-page PDF [North West Public Health Observatory, UK]
Videos from 'Scotland's Futures Forum'
William White, Pat Taylor, Keith Humphreys, Stephen Birrell, Anne-Marie Ward, Fraser Ross [Film Exchange on Alcohol and Drugs - FEAD, UK]
FEAD - New contributors
Toby Seddon, Neil McKeganey and William White [Film Exchange on Alcohol and Drugs - FEAD, UK]
SMMGP Policy Update May 2009
All the papers included in this Update were tabled at the IHRA conference - Bangkok April 2009 [SMMGP, UK]
Department of Health: Departmental Report 2009
The report provides a comprehensive overview of spending and investment programmes and of the system reforms accompanying this investment [DoH, UK]
A map of drink-related hospital admissions
Researchers at health intelligence firm CHKS and mapping software
specialists
GeoWise have created a map of drink-related hospital admissions which shows
that primary care trusts in the north of England have the highest rates of
admission [CHKS, UK]
Prevention of Homelessness Guidance
New homelessness prevention guidance has been issued to local authorities today as part of the Scottish Government's strategy to meet the 2012 homelessness target [Scottish Government, UK]
Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation
This examination looked at all the main publicly-funded treatment and rehabilitation services provided for persons with addiction to illegal drugs. In particular, it looked at the extent to which the demand for treatment and rehabilitation services is met, and the timeliness of access to treatment. It also looked at the extent to which the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation services are evaluated, and the effectiveness of the arrangements for coordination of treatment and rehabilitation at an individual case level, and nationally. 96-page PDF [Comptroller and Auditor General, Ireland]
Submission to the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions
This submission provided advice to the Ontario Legislature’s Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions. 38-page PDF [Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada]
Clean Switch: The Case for Prison Needle and Syringe Programs in Canada
This paper outlines the available evidence and the legal rationale, under federal Canadian and international human rights law, for Canada to implement PNSPs without delay. 44-page PDF [Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network]
Drug control - Report to the Co-Chairman, Caucus on International Narcotics Control, U.S. Senate
Better Coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and an Updated Accountability Framework Can Further Enhance DEA’s Efforts to Meet Post-9/11 Responsibilities. 80-page PDF [GAO, USA]
Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California
Examining the demographic and health profiles of the prison population shows that it is disproportionately sicker on average than the U.S. population in general, with substantially higher rates of infectious diseases (such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C), serious mental illness, and substance abuse disorders. 220-page PDF [RAND, USA]
Ensuring U.S. Health Reform Includes Prevention and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders
A Framework for Discussion. 23-page PDF [SAMHSA, USA]
A
national physician survey on prescribing syringes as an HIV prevention
measure
Physicians within their medical practice have an important opportunity to intervene in substance abuse behavior on an individual level. Prescribing syringes to IDUs should figure among such interventions because it can help prevent the transmission of bloodborne disease and enhance overall IDU care27-page PDF [Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, USA]
The Effects of Substance Use on Workplace Injuries
This paper describes associations between substance use and occupational injuries and proposes reasons that substance use may be linked to work-related accidents. 55-page PDF [RAND, USA]
Mexico’s Narco-Insurgency and U.S. Counterdrug Policy
This monograph argues that the Merida Initiative - and, by extension, U.S. counternarcotics strategy as a whole - suffers from a basic lack of balance. 67-page PDF [Strategic Studies Institute, USA]
Major Report on U.S. Tobacco Control Policies and Use Finds Stark Contrasts in Progress Among States
The United States is becoming a nation of haves and have-nots when it comes to tobacco control, according to a comprehensive publication (16.34MB) on cigarette smoking prevalence and policies in the U.S. that was released today [University at Buffalo, USA]
Illicit Drug Data Report 2007–2008
The Illicit Drug Data Report is produced by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and is recognised as one of the most valuable tools for law enforcement agencies, policy and decision makers, research bodies and other stakeholders in combating illicit drugs [Australian Crime Commission]